Scrap-book - a collection of "fifteen teaching-pieces for children of all ages", as it is subtitled, was mostly written in 1975. To be exact, there were twelve pieces in the 1975 collection. The fourth, ninth and fifteenth piece were added more than twenty years later. in 1996.

At the start of my working life I earned my living as an accompanist and répétiteur (rehearsal-pianist and musical dogsbody). After I got married in 1972 I found myself living in South Wiltshire, and needed to earn some kind of a crust all year round, and not just during the summer festival season. So I worked at various schools, teaching boys and girls to master the piano (or be mastered by it). In addition, I had three young stepchildren by then, all of whom played the piano in one way or another (mostly another). So working with children's piano pieces was a big part of my life, whether at work or at home. It became clear to me that most of the stuff offered to youngish children and beginners was as dull as ditch-water and twice as empty of wit, wisdom and humour; so I wrote a set of pieces myself. As Alfred Brendel kindly pointed out in his generous endorsement of the collection, Scrap-book invites the young player to play roles, not merely notes.

My music-publishers from 1976 to 2002, Novello & Company, refused for more than twenty-five years to print a proper edition of Scrap-book, despite my many requests. This eventually led to a rift, which saw me leaving them in 2002, and Scrap-book was published shortly afterwards by Gonzaga Music. Several of the pieces have been included in the Associate Board's syllabuses over the decades since.

Giles Swayne
2025

"I thoroughly enjoyed looking through Scrap-book. What a lovely way to introduce the young to the delights of 20th century music! Giles Swayne's pieces are not only witty and amusing - they teach aspiring musicians to characterise. The player is invited to play roles and to identify with people, objects and situations."

Alfred Brendel